Typewriter cover and the like



March 19, 1935. T. GRANGE TYPEWRITER COVER AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24,1933 A ..m mm TG N X Em. o NwM Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED S ATESPATENTOFFICE I r 1 95 059, I I I I x TrrE nIrER COVER AND THE LIKE'lllu'aodose Grange, Paris, Francepassignor to Constructors Limited,Erdington, Birmingham, England, a company, of Great-BritainApplicationfJanuary'24, 1- 9.33, Serial No, 653,262

. In' France January 29,1932

This invention has for object a new cover casing for typewriter machinesof all sizes and makes when out-of service or when being transported andfor use in lieu'fofthe separate rigid covers and linen and like coversusually employed hitherto.

Rigid covers are cumbersome and take up, in an omce, useful space unlessused for an improvised purpose such as for the reception ofcorrespondence, with the result that the typewriter frequently is nolonger covered up at night and remains exposed to dust. As regardsfabric covers or those made of imitation leather fabric they are veryinconvenient to fit in place, unsightly, become readily torn and in noway protect the machine against shock. or knocks.

The invention consists essentially in a series of sectors or hoopspivotal about a transverse axis and fitting the one within the otherbehind and above the carriage of the machine, a simple pull on a knobprovided for the purpose or the rotation of a milled head at the sidebeing sufficient to cause the fan-like spreading out of the device so asto completely cover over the machine, said cover being locked at thefront of the keyboard.

The accompanying drawing shows, a typewriter cover constructed accordingto the present invention and wherein:

Figure 1 is afront elevation of the cover in its closed }position; thecovered typewriter being shown in dotted linesj Figure 2 is a sectionalside elevation of the cover partly raised, the section being taken onthe line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan of the cover open and with a modification appliedthereto;

Figure 4 is a section to a larger scale of one of the hubs, the sectionbeing taken on the line IVZV of Figure 2, but only the hub portions ofthe various parts being shown;

Figure 5 is a side elevation to a larger scale of the hub portions ofthree consecutive sectors.

The new protecting cover consists essentially of a series of cut outsections or crescentsand suitably shaped or curved to form fiatrectangular or rounded hoops 3 all turning about two common pivots 2 inorder to come, or fit one within the other on the frame 1 of saidmachine or around it as shown, or they may be spread out fan-wise overthe keyboard so as to cover and enclose the parts of the machine fullysheltering it from dust, giving at the same time the appearance of ahalf drum or a half sphere according to the shape given to the sections;The pivots 2 can be fitted anywhere conveniently on existing machines orin new machines cast during the -manufacture thereof or may be mountedon a separateframe orcasing 1 as shown, in whichthemachine is mounted.Milled knobs 4 are provided permit- 5 ting of easy manipulation of thecover in both directions while the last section is fitted with a lock 5with safety catch automatically engaging at the front of the base of theframe or casing 1 to hold the=device closed and to maintain the 10tension of the cover material, the lock 5 carrying a button or knobwhich can be used for opening the lock and for lifting the foldingcover.

In typewriter machines the base or frame would be dimensioned so as tocontain and hide away 15 at 6 the closed section in such a manner thatthe cover will take up no room. Finally said base might have lateral orfront handles 7 to facilitate transport replacing those ordinarilyfitted to rigid covers.

The sections forming thecover are made of any appropriate material whichis sufficiently rigid, resistant, and thin such as sheet metal,aluminium, plastic materials, thin ply wood, fibre or may be ofcomposite material or reinforced and so on. They may consist ofhalf-hoops over which is stretched'a cover of leather or imitationleather. The last of the sections coming in contact with the front partof the base forward of the keys has a flange 12 ensuring tightness andcovering the other sections when the cover is open.

The successive carrying along of the sliding elements 3 one by the otherat the unfolding or folding up of the cover is effected by means of pins14 provided on hubs 13 engaging in curved slots. 13 cut out in the hub13 of the nextelement; the tightness between the sections 3 is ensured.by a small band of felt or velvet 15 glued as shown in Figs. 1 and 2which also gives silent and gentle action, preventing one element fromscratching the next. Such a circular hub 13 is provided on each side ofthe machine. The arrangement of the pins on each hub and the length of.the slots 13 are such that at the unfolding for covering over themachine, the finger 14 of the first'element commences to travel throughthe slot 13 of the second element; then abutting at the end of itsstroke against the end of the slot 13 it carries along the secondelement. The finger carried on each of its two hubs by the secondelement acts similarly in regard to the third element and so on insequence.

In the opposite direction the operation is identical, the first elementcommencing by closing inside the second and at that moment the twolateral fingers having travelled through their slots push back thesecond element which in its turn enters the third element and so on.Three hubs of consecutive elements are shown in Fig. 5.

Finally, in the case where the cover is not manipu ated: at its centreand where theelements are fairly long such as in large models foraccounting machines, warping or jamming is prevented by fitting to thecasing a driving arrangement arranged at both sides of the cover whichcauses the two lateral axes to turn evenly and simultaneously throughthe same angle. 7 This arrangement consists essentially in a transverseaxis 16 connecting through pinion wheels 17, 18 to the two pivots 2. Thepinion wheels 17 are fast with the hubs of the first or front sections.To avoid cumbersomeness the axis 16 is, in most types of machine,located at the rear of the machine as shown in Fig. 5, and carries thepinion wheels 18 connected by chains 19 oneach'side and driven by thewheels 17.' r I I claim: V 1. A cover for-typewriters and the like comofsaid hubs, said projection operably engaging the slots of said hubs formoving the sections in succession.

v 3. A cover for typewriters and the like comprising a series oftelescoping sections pivotally mounted on a base, means for packing theedges of said sections'hubs on said sections, arcuate slots in saidhubs, a lateral projection carried by one of said hubs, said projectionoperably engaging the slots of the remaining hubs for moving thesections in succession, a toothed pinion carried by thev end sections,an endless chain connecting said pinions, and. means for turning thepinion of the end section for operating the cover.

'rnnonosr: GRANGE.

